Carrier attachment for open-top containers



Aug. 30, 1966 L. P. SHINAVER CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR OPEN-TOP CONTAINERS Filed May 21, 1965 p m H S M c M w A L Patented Aug 1966 3,269,683 CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR OPEN-TOP CONTAINERS Lawrence P. Shinaver, 1706 S. Conlon Ave., West Covina, Calif. Filed May 21, 1965, Ser. No. 457,781 4 Claims. (Cl. 248230) The present invention relates generally to carrier attachments for maintaining open top liquid containers in upright position despite changes in orientation of a supporting member; more particularly, the invention relates to such a carrier attachment which is particularly adapted for use on golf bag carts.

The carrier of the invention is constructed and adapted to be mounted on a movable support member to maintain an open-top liquid container in an upright position to prevent spillage regardless of the movement or change in position and orientation of the support member. The carrier has particular utility in use with golf carts, which are commonly utilized to carry golf bags, clubs and accessory equipment'about a golf course during the progress of a game. Golf carts are of various types, including power-driven carts for carrying a player and equipment, and a common type is a collapsible cart which is manually pulled about by the golfer. Because of the length of time required in playing a round a golf, and because of the outdoor exposure, activity, and often because of high temperature or dry conditions, players frequently desire to partake of liquid refreshment during the progress of a game. Inasmuch as such refreshment is usually provided by means of an open-top container such as a bottle, can or glass, there is presented the problem of providing for the transporting of such open-top containers without spillage, in view of the fact that the players hands must remain free. Further, there is presented the problem of disposing of emptied containers without littering the grounds.

In the preferred form of the invention herein described, there is provided a carrier for attachment to a movable supporting member, such as a golf cart, and which stabilizes or maintains the liquid container always in an upright position without spillage despite movement of and change of position of the supporting member. At the end of its use or at the end of the play of a game, the container may be removed from the carrier and discarded. Preferably, the carrier comprises a mounting bracket which has an internal cylindrical cavity when its components are clamped together, and includes a support stem having a disc at its end which fits pivotally within the cylindrical cavity of the bracket. A container receptacle is removably attached at the opposite end of the support stem and is configurated to hold an open-top liquid contaier, such as a glass or a bottle. With the mounting bracket means secured to the support member, and with the receptacle suspended by means of the support stem, the stem is positioned to pivot about the center of the disc and relative to the support member, whereby the open-top liquid container is maintained by means of gravity in an upright position despite movement and changes in orientation of the support member of a golf cart or other movable support.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carrier attachment adapted for attachment to a movable support, such as a part of a vehicle or golf cart, to carry an open-top liquid container in an upright position.

An object of the invention is the provision of a carrier according to the foregoing object which is adapted to maintain an open-top liquid receptacle in an upright position regardless of the position or movement of the support to which the carrier is attached.

.An object of the invention is to provide a carrier according to the foregoing objects wherein a receptacle is adapted to hold a liquid container and is pivotable relative to the support member, whereby the liquid receptacle remains upright despite movement and changes of position of the support member, thereby preventing spilling of the liquid contents of the container.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a carrier according to the foregoing object, wherein a cylindrical cavity in bracket means secured to the support member pivotally receives a disc at the end of a support stern on which the receptacle is attached.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a carrier attachment for open-top liquid containers which is simplified in construction, inexpensive to fabricate, and very effective for its intended purposes.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible golf cart with the carrier of the present invention secured to the handle thereof, a golf bag being shown in phantom outline;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the carrier of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken at line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial elevational view, showing the mounting bracket of the carrier of FIGURES 2 and 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view taken at line 55 of FIGURE 3, showing the engagement of the receptacle and stem members of the carrier of FIGURES 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a conventional golf bag 10 mounted on a conventional collapsible manual golf cart 12. The golf cart has a handle 14 on the end of which is mounted a grip 16, an upright tubularcentral or stem member 18, a bracket member 20 slidable on stem member 18, and legs 22, 24 attached to the bracket member 20 and having axles provided at their respective ends on which are mounted wheels 28, 30. Handle 14 is pivotally connected to a bracket 32 secured on the upper portion of stem 18. A brace member 34 is connected between handle 14 and slidable bracket 20. From the geometry of the parts and from the drawing, it will be understood that the cartis collapsible into a contracted transportable configuration and is extensible into the operative configuration shown, collapsing being effected by sliding bracket 20 relative to stem 18 with handle 14 swinging downwardly. A support or foot member is secured at the lower end of stem 18 to support the golf bag. The collapsible golf cart itself is conventional and constitutes no part of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURE 2, a preferred embodiment of the carrier of the present invention is shown as including mounting bracket means comprising two separable clamping members 40, 42, which have respective semi-circular portions adapted to be clamped together about cylindrical handle 14 of the golf cart, and which have respective extending fiat portions 44, 46, as shown, with apertures adapted to receive a clamping bolt 50. These extending fiat portions 44, 46 have respective cylindrical recesses 52, 54 which register to define an internal cylindrical cavity when the members are clamped together, as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4. A slot 56 extends to the center of the cylindrical cavity from an edge of portion 46 of clamping member 42, for a purpose which is made clear in further description herein.

In the exemplary form of the invention shown in the drawings, a cylindrical receptacle or holder 60 has a central bottom portion 62, an upper rim 64 and a plurality of 3 interconnecting ribs 66. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the receptacle 60 has a heavy or thickened side portion 68 in which is defined a vertical longitudinally tapered channel 70.

A support stem or pendulum member 72 is provided with outwardly extending longitudinally tapered wing portions 74. It will be appreciated from FIGURE 5 and from the geometry of the parts, that the receptacle 60 is readily engageable with and detachable from support stem 72 by means of the cooperating tapered channel 70 and the stern portions 74.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, stem 42 has a normally horizontal arm portion 76, which terminates in an enlarged stud or disc 78 configurated to fit closely within and to pivot in the cylindrical cavity defined by recesses 52, 54 in clamping members 40, 42. From the geometry of the parts and the drawing, it will be understood that arm portion 76 of the stem is movable through slot 56 in assembling the parts prior to securement by bolt 50. The clamping members are firmly secured to handle 14 of the golf cart and the flat portions 44, 46 of the clamping members are secured together to define the cylindrical cavity wherein the stud or disc 78 of the stem is rotatably mounted.

With the stem 72 and receptacle 60 thus pivotally supported by the mounting bracket, the carrier of the invention provides both for supporting the receptacle from a support member and provides means for pivotal or swinging movement of the receptacle and liquid open-top container about the mounting bracket. In this manner, a bottle, can or glass in the receptacle 60 is always maintained in an upright position without spillage, irrespective of the movement or change in orientation or position of the golf cart handle 14 or other support member to which a carrier is secured. If the support member moves in any particular direction or changes orientation, the stem and receptacle pivots about the axis of the disc 78 in the cylindrical cavity of the mounting bracket, thereby stabilizing the receptacle in an upright position. Spillage from the liquid open-top container carried by the receptacle is thereby prevented. The container can thus be transported by a movable support member, such as a golf cart, without spillage. At the end of use or at the end of the play of a game, the container may simply be removed and discarded.

Those versed in the art will appreciate that the present invention achieves the objects and realizes the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same is merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefore mentioned, and that the in vention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. A carrier for open-top liquid containers, comprising mounting bracket means adapted to be secured to a support member,

said bracket means having a cylindrical cavity defined therein,

said bracket means having a slot extending from an edge thereof to the center of said cavity,

support stem means having an upper normally horizontal arm portion adapted for insertion through said slot,

a disc at the end of said horizontal arm portion of the stern and adapted to fit pivotally within said cylindrical cavity,

and receptacle means attached at the opposite end of the support stem and configurated to hold an opentop liquid container such as a glass or bottle,

whereby the mounting bracket means are secured to the support member with the receptacle suspended therefrom in position to pivot about the center of said disc,

whereby the open-top liquid container is maintained by gravity in an upright position despite movement and changes in orientation of the support member.

2. A carrier for open-top liquid containers according to claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket means comprise two clamping members adapted to be secured in clamped relation to a support member,

said clamping members having respective confronting circular recesses adapted for registration to define a cylindrical cavity in the bracket means when in said clamped relation.

3. A carrier for open-top liquid containers according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle means has a normally vertical tapered channel,

and wherein the support stem is constricted for engagement in said channel for the ready attachment and disassembly of the stem and receptacle.

4. A carrier for open-top liquid containers according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle means is generally cylindrical in configuration and has a depth sufficient to accommodate an open-top container to retain the container therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,471 5/ 1876 Clark 248224 859,013 7/1907 Roberts et al 248-224 1,782,962 11/1930 Hobbs 248313 X 1,794,700 3/ 1931 McCaskey 248224 1,826,640 10/1931 Sturgis 248214 2,253,649 8/1941 Price 22436 2,735,641 2/1956 Joecks 248210 2,879,840 3/1959 Etten 248224 2,893,675 7/1959 Smith et a1. 248223 2,919,096 12/1959 Cohen 248224 FOREIGN PATENTS 362,814 8/ 1962 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARRIER FOR OPEN-TOP LIQUID CONTAINERS, COMPRISING MOUNTING BRACKET MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID BRACKET MEANS HAVING A CYLINDRICAL CAVITY DEFINED THEREIN, SAID BRACKET MEANS HAVING A SLOT EXTENDING FROM AN EDGE THEREOF TO THE CENTER OF SAID CAVITY, SUPPORT STEM MEANS HAVING AN UPPER NORMALLY HORIZONTAL ARM PORTION ADAPTED FOR INSERTION THROUGH SAID SLOT, A DISC AT THE END OF SAID HORIZONTAL ARM PORTION OF THE STEM AND ADAPTED TO FIT PIVOTALLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL CAVITY, AND RECEPTACLE MEANS ATTACHED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SUPPORT STEM AND CONFIGURATED TO HOLD AN OPENTOP LIQUID CONTAINER SUCH AS A GLASS OR BOTTLE, WHEREBY THE MOUNTING BRACKET MEANS ARE SECURED TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER WITH THE RECEPTACLE SUSPENDED THEREFROM IN POSITION TO PIVOT ABOUT THE CENTER OF SAID DISC, WHEREBY THE OPEN-TOP LIQUID CONTAINER IS MAINTAINED BY GRAVITY IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION DESPITE MOVEMENT AND CHANGES IN ORIENTATION OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER. 